Rail-bond for electric railways



(No Model.)

11.0. BROWN. RAIL BOND FOB, ELECTRIC RAILWAYS. No. 554,859..

vwanted Feb. 18, 1896.

I l Tl ////////7 UNITED ASTATES PATENT OFFICE.

ROllER'l. C. BROWN. QF SOMERVILLE, MASSACHUSETTS.

RAIL-BOND Foa ELECTRIC RAILWAYS.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 554,859, dated February 18, 1896.

Application filed March 2l, 1894. Serial No. 504,529` (Nomodel.)

This invention isl an improvement in elec-L tric-railway construction in which the rails of the track form part of' the electric circuit,

and relates more particularly to the rail-bond employed to eect an electrical connection between twoA contiguous rails or sections of the track.

v The invention has for its object to provide an improved rail-bond by which a more efficient electrical connection or joint may be obtained between contiguous rails, so as to prevent the interposition of resistance due to a bad connection or joint and thereby maintain the use and benefit of the rail-as' a conductor at its normal carrying capacity.

The invention further consists in a novel construction Jby which electrolysis or local action is prevented or reduced to a minimum,

thereby prolonging .the life and efficiency of the bond and consequently maintaining the carrying capacity of the rail. A v l These and other features of this invention will be pointed out in the claims at the end of this specification.

Figure lis a side elevation of two abutting or contiguous rails partially broken out and electrically connected by a rail-bond embodying this invention; Fig. 2, a sectionon the line 2 2, Fig. 1, to more clearly show the con-V struction of the rail-bond; and Fig. 3, a vertical sectional'detail to be referred to.on the line 3 3, Fig. 1, and on an enlarged scale.

The rails A A', forming part of an electric- .railway system, may and preferably will be made substantially as shown in Fig. 3, each rail consisting of a base' a, a tread a', and a connecting vertical web c2. l

In accordance with this invention the rails A A are electrically joinedv or connected together by a bond consisting of preferably tapering hollow plugs a3 a4, of iron or steel, which are driven into and through suitable holes in the webs c2 of the said rails, the said hollow plugs being of such diameter with relation to the-said holes, and vice versa, that.

the plugs will fit tight and be firmly secured to the rails. y

The hollow plugs as a4 for the best results are made substantiallylong, so as to obtain-a long bearing-surface for one or more tie-wires or bonds b, a single wire being herein shown,

and of such size or diameter to fit somewhat snugly the hollow'plug.

. The bond or tic-wire b is preferably made of copper on account of its superior conductivity, and I prefer to employ a single or continuous wire for each joint, the ends of which are extended through the hollow plugs carried bythe railsA A and are preferably connected together by means of a sleeve or tube` b', into which the opposite ends of the tiewire b are inserted, thereby forming a metallic loop by which the rails A A are connected together.

In order to secure good electrical contact between the tie-wire b and the hollow plugs as a, the tie-wires are soldered to the hollow plugs,.and in the drawings this solder is represented by the heavy dark line b3, and for the best results the ends of the tie-wire b are soldered to the interior surface of the sleeve or tube b', which may be eected by providing the saidtube or sleeve with a hole or opening, preferably a longitudinal slot, through which the solder is poured, the said solder being represented by the heavy black line I)4 in Fig. 3.

The solderin g of thetie-wire b to the hollow plugs ai a* and to the connecting-sleeve b effects a most efficient 'electrical connection between the rails A A', and when the tie-wire is composed of copper this method of securing electrical Contact between the copper tiewire and the hollow steel or iron plugs prevents or reduces to a minimum electrolysis or local action between these dissimilar metals, and as a resultjthe life and efficiency of the 4bond are prolonged and the carrying capacity of the rail as a conductor is maintained at its normal capacity.

The local action referred to, if established IOO between the copper tie-wire and the steel plug, would form a decomposition of both metals,

and more particularly of the copper tie-Wire, which Would-cause a Wasting away of the copper Wire', thereby interposing resistance in the rail-circuit, Which would impair the use- -fulness ofthe rail as a conductor, and thereby diminish its carrying capacity, and after a sufficient length of time the copper wire would become eaten away and parted, thereby wholly destroying the circuit between the rails A' A; y

I haveherein shown the rail-bond as con- `sisting of a single tie-wire, but I do not desire to limit Inyinvention in this respect', as instead thereof I may use a plurality of smaller wires; so, also, I prefer to employ a copper tie wire, on account of the superior-conductivity;` buti the hollow plug when used ywith atie;. wire of` iron or steel or other metal affords a superior means of eecting an electrical joint4 or connection between the rails vA A.

I have herein shownV the tie-wire as ausili;-`

` gle continuous Wire having'itsoppositejends' connected'together by the sleeve b, and'while? .I prefer this construction it may be found de@ sirable to employ a tie-'Wire'aforeach :hollow plug and joined at theirendson opposite sides of the rail by two sleeves bf' or in any other desirable manner(V In Fig. l twolrail-bonds are represented as electric railway, of a rail-bond comprising hollow tapering 'plugs -insertewthrough the rails Vto beoo'nnected, a tie-wireextended through f :said 1 hollow plugs and veolderedsthereto, and la sleeve or tube into which the endsof the tieLwire are inserted andsolderedthereto,

.substantially asdescribed.

In testimonywhereof-I-heve signed my name to'this specicationinfthe presence of `twosbscribing Witnesses. 4-.

ROBERTA C. BRGWN.

Witnesses; v

.lasl H. CHURCHILL,

JwMunrrrv.

connecting the rails A A'; but any desired 3o4 through said hollow plugs and joined together. at'its ends, substantially as described. 2. The combination with the rails of anA 

